Review: BAT OUT OF HELL, The Alexandra Birmingham - UK tour
Last night I came to The Alexandra to ROCK (so did my mom!) and so thankfully did the cast of Bat Out Of Hell - The Musical, based on the songs of music LEGEND, Meatloaf.
The musical is a vocal display of astronomical proportions, as to be hoped and expected for when seeing a musical with sensational songs, written by the late great Jim Steinman.
Set in an apocalyptic world, and unashamedly inspired by Peter Pan, we follow the journey of Strat and Raven. Strat (Glenn Adamson) is the leader of “The Lost” and is looking for the person who can answer his question, a question any true Meatloaf fans will know all too well. He finds his answer in Raven (Martha Kirby) who is the daughter of the evil(ish) overlord Falco (Rob Fowler) and Sloane (Sharon Sexton). Raven is coming of age and trying to find her place in this corrupt crazy world and upon meeting Strat, a wild romance ensues.
Jon Bausor’s set design is mouth watering and the choreography (adapted by Xena Gusthart) is a joy to watch and always slots in so well with the other worldly hit songs. A huge hats off must also go to Patrick Woodroffe for the simply electric lighting design. Although most people wouldn’t have minded because they knew the words anyway, in some of the bigger choral numbers, the clarity of the words sung are a little unclear, blending in with the music and whilst it is still awesome to listen to, it means a lot of the dynamic lyrics get lost.
Something which does need to be discussed is the show’s very clear lack of storyline. Personally, the very core of ANY piece of theatre needs to be storytelling and it feels that with this show, the storyline has been put on the back burner, maybe with the belief that the songs alone are so jaw dropping that they will be enough to carry the show. However, this show is begging for more script. Some of Meatloaf’s songs are 7,8,9 minutes long so I would much rather stay in the theatre for three hours and experience all of these amazing songs AND a well-thought out plot, however the plot points seem to teleport to each dot instead of being drawn seamlessly together. By doing this, it means we don’t get to derive much empathy or understanding for any of the characters. The characters, the actors playing them and the audience deserve more.
Some changes have been made to the show for this tour, potentially to decrease the running time? This is understandable but some of the alterations make little sense. After all, who is Peter Pan without Captain Hook? In a show already sparse on its storyline, the show decides to cut “In The Land of The Pig The Butcher is King”, which is usually performed by insanely talented Rob Fowler. It was one of the highlights of the show previously, driving home the menace of the character Falco and by cutting this number, it changes the scene layout totally for “Objects in The Rearview Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” - another personal highlight.
Also changed is a rather heinous act committed at the end by Falco, originally to something a little less unforgivable. From the first act, we have the antagonist making jokes and throughout the show, the script seems focused on making sure we - as the audience - find him redeemable, but in doing so, it never gives him enough of an evil arc to begin with. These changes are not needed because it leaves this apocalyptic storyline feeling more gooey than gritty. However, this does not take away from the fact that Rob Fowler is one of most incredible vocalists and stage performers and expertly delivers the script he’s been dealt.
Now we MUST address Sharon Sexton. If we have Falco as Captain Hook, then Sloane must be his.. erm… Smee?… but with sequins…oh and with one of the best bloody voices the UK has to offer! Sexton is an absolute standout, delivering comedy and emotion with pinpoint timing and accuracy. Watching her perform is a delight and needless to say the chemistry between Sexton and Fowler is sizzling enough to make even a mountain adjust itself slightly.
Another stand out is Martha Kirby in the role of Raven, a talented actress with a voice that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Glenn Adamson also gives a great performance as the psychedelic Strat, wowing the audience with his performance.
Overall a cracking evening was had at The Alexandra last night and although critical of the storyline in this review, it doesn’t change the fact that the whole audience had the time of their lives; sang, got on their feet and rocked out, including my mother who didn’t want the show to end! Are there some issues that need ironing out? Yes. But would I watch the show again? For crying out loud, YES!
If you want to see a show full of incredibly talented and dedicated performers, you must see this show.
If you want to be dazzled by innovative and detailed sets and have your ears blown off by god like rock’n’roll music, you must see this show.
If you want to watch a show with a cohesive and nuanced storyline… well, two out of three ain’t bad!
A rockin’ resplendent evening for anyone who loves great music.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: James Edge
Bat Out Of Hell - The Musical runs at the Alexandra in Birmingham until 15 January and tours the UK until November 2022. Tickets for select touring venues can be purchased here.
